Preparation for IVF

[Kyla]

Hello Ladies - I have posted before on and off ages ago. I am due to start IVF in September and I want to get by body prepared before this - can I ask what you have all been doing - i.e. healthy eating, vitamins and so on. I know this question has been asked many times before but I can't find any information on the boards.
Wishing you all good luck and I will appreciate any replies.
Thanks, Kyla

[LittleP]

Welcome back Kyla.

There's a book that people have recommended which is really informative by Zita West (available on Amazon.com or Play.com) about infertility and conception.

I've been taking Flax capsules (recommended by my reflexologist). Also very important is Folic Acid. There are some dedicated vitamins for people trying to conceive.

Before you start taking anything it is a good idea to check with your hospital that they are happy for you to take them.

I wish you loads and loads of luck

Little P

[minnow]

hi Kyla, i can safely anticipate you will get lots of posts suggesting you get Zita West's book which seems to be a bible for most of us! it will give you loads of info but you need to sift through it or you will be overwhelmed by what she expects you to do!

speaking for myself, i have cut out all alcohol bar the very odd glass of wine. i dont drink much, but have reduced it to an occasional treat. i am eating lots of fruit, drinking lots and lots of water. it's a good idea to get your body used to drinking a lot of water (2 litres) over a period of time so that your body can actually absorb it rather than it coming straight out! i still have the odd bit of chocolate but eat 99% organic foods and veg to avoid chemicals where poss. i am a disaster on the exercise front, but what i do now is take myself for long walks as an alternative. severa girls have mentioned yoga and i love it but have been lazy of late.

perhaps the last thing to mention is to try and get lots of sleep in the run up as you will find you get very tired. i am working very little at the moment but by the end of the day am shattered.

i would say though, just make sure you have a great summer and really enjoy yourself. if you are feeling happy and positive, it will be a huge help.

good luck!!

[minnow]

as a p.s. i take Zita West's vits. it is probably just a marketing ploy but i think they are probably v good quality. they are called vitafem which is a prenatal vit with everything under the sun in it. i also take her DHA which is a pure fish oil..she thinks of it as the new folic acid. these dont come cheaply - costs about £40 for hust over a month. plenty of other v good supplements out there though.

my dh just takes a probiotic multivit but refuses to take anything else much as i have tried to get him on stuff!!

[Nolan]

Hi Kyla, before I started my IVF the clinic told me if I wanted to take supplements to take pregnacare capsules. I also took omega 3 fish oils with a high DHA content. I took an actimel everyday and tried to drink a fruit smoothie every day. I don't know if it had anything to do with the result but I produced a nice amount of good quality eggs. I also had a good response to the stimming (too good because I ended up with OHSS). Hope it all goes well for you. xx

[Sand]

Hi Kyla .. Nice to see you back on the Boards .... If you're starting tmt in Sep you've got just the right timescale to get your bod in tip top condition. Do read "Fertility and Conception" by Zita W. It is full of good info and tips.

Sandra x